There are lots of benefits to blockchain technology, from iron-clad records and smart contracts to real-time exchanges of value. One problem, however, is transparency. On a platform like Bitcoin, average users and their transactions are public records which anyone can see. Yes, they're hidden behind garbled strings of letters and numbers. Nonetheless, many transactions are transparent, and public records of large transactions can make some people targets of hackers.

Some blockchain projects have tried to offer alternative platforms to Bitcoin, platforms that are more private and offer more anonymity. Zcash is one of them, but it didn't have enough features. That's where Hush comes in.

Hush: A Brief Outline

Hush, which launched in November of 2016, is a platform that offers secure messaging and a native token that can be exchanged over the network.

In some sense, Hush was built as a way to practically use the privacy protocols of Zcash, but it doesn't stop there. The platform was developed as a way to give users the ability to conduct messaging and transactions without sharing their personal data with anyone. Personal data is what companies lust for, since they can either sell it to the highest bidder, or use it themselves to market things to you. Sure, they may be things you could be interested in, but many people don't want anyone to know what they like or what they do as a matter of principle. Others may just find targeted marketing annoying.

By anonymizing all users' personal data, these companies won't be able to get their hands on it for their own purposes.

Hush offers additional privacy by giving users the option of making their transactions public or private.

Some other features of Hush include compatibility with other Zcash platforms, as well as all future forks of Zcash. It also offers additional security and privacy with TOR nodes, bitcore, and transport layer security, and gives developers the ability to make smart contracts.

The team, led by Jonathan “Duke” Leto used community funding to get the project off the ground, with an emphasis on getting users involved in the development and success of the platform, as opposed to Zcash which raised funding and support privately.

The Problems With Zcash

Zcash had a loophole in it that caused some serious issues, issues that some people feared could be replicated with Hush: counterfeiting.

With Zcash, transactions can only be done by creating “parameters” that verify the proofs that permit the transaction to go through, parameters that are created by generating public and private key pairs, the private part of which is destroyed afterwards. Technically a hacker could get their hands on the private half of a key pair, and could find a way to create duplicate Zcash.

While some protocols have been set in place to prevent this from happening, it's still possible. Unfortunately this method only way to keep the privacy of the individuals doing the transaction, so the possibility of counterfeiting will always be there. However, Hush's use of transport layer security and TOR nodes makes sure that even if a hacker got the private key and counterfeited Zcash (or HUSH Coin), the information of the users would be safe.

The New Features of Hush

Some newer developments for Hush include a Web Wallet, which can be accessed via any browser. The wallet will have the same protections as transactions made in the platform.

There's also an exchange called Komodo, which is decentralized and built on Zcash's code as well. It's not the “same” as Hush, nor was it developed by the same people, but Komodo and its tokens are similar to Hush and they share lots of users and developers, so there will likely be lots of interplay between the two as Hush takes off.

Where to Buy HUSH Coin

Right now, there aren't many places where you can get HUSH Coins. The best exchanges at the moment are Cryptopia and BarterDEX. While the bigger exchanges don't carry it, time may see them adopting HUSH Coin as one of their trade offerings. For those who are just getting into crypto, however, it will be more of a hassle to acquire HUSH Coin unless they do their research.

Where to Store HUSH Coin

This is one of the benefits of Hush: they have their own wallets. While many blockchain platforms start out not offering any official wallet to store their coins in, Hush offers an array of wallets for Mac, Windows, and Linux. As we mentioned earlier, there's a web-based wallet that can be accessed from any browser, so you can even use your smart phone to get access to your wallet once you're set up. It's not clear whether there's an option to store them in a hardware wallet, however, but that may be a later development.

The Hush Mining Method

Lots of blockchains have ways of mining their coins, but it's not always easy to get into. Hush makes things a little bit easier. The developers themselves put together a guide for beginners on the official forums. Other companies offer instructions for how to mine, but don't try very hard to make things easier.

Hush uses Equihash, which is a proof-of-work algorithm that uses RAM for less energy consumption while mining.

Hush vs Zcash

Both of these platforms are based on providing a way to do transactions online that are private, with no sharing of user information. Hush is technically built on Zcash's blockchain and code, so they have a lot in common. Hush has a messaging service and an app development area that utilizes the privacy standards of the platform, while Zcash is focused more on being a platform for transactions and allowing others to build off of them. Zcash has been around longer, sure, but both services are operational as of this time and have much to offer users and developers.

Hush vs Monero

These are both currencies and platforms that are based on privacy. With Hush, transactions are encrypted, private info isn't exposed to public sight, and user data anonymized. Monero on the other hand focuses on anonymizing tactics like ring signatures and stealth addresses to keep things private. Both currencies use proof-of-work for mining, but Hush focuses on RAM-oriented mining and Monero uses standard CPU processing power for mining. Both Hush and Monero are open source, so developers can add their own improvements and modifications to it.

Hush vs Zclassic

Once again we have two blockchain platforms that are based on anonymity and privacy as core principles. The main difference between Zclassic and Zcash (which we covered above) is that Zclassic has no miners fees, and has no slow start. Some Hush mining pools do have fees, but it depends on which one you use. Hush is only available on two exchanges, it looks like, while Zclassic is available on four, including the popular exchange Bittrex. Both platforms are forks of Zcash and both go back to around November of 2016.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I buy HUSH Coin?
Cryptopia and Barterdex.

How does HUSH Coin mining work?
It works with RAM-based proof-of-work consensus.

Is there a HUSH Coin wallet?
Yes, and it's available on browsers, Macs, PCs and Linux.

What's the price prediction for HUSH Coin?
It could go up if the service takes off with users.

Is there talk of HUSH Coin on Reddit?
Yes, there's a community there discussing Hush.

How do I mine HUSH Coin?
Join up with a mining pool, of which there are many. You can access them via the Hush website.

Is there a Hush wallet for Windows?Yes.

Where can I read Hush news?
You can read it on Reddit, Twitter, or crypto blogs.

Is HUSH Coin a cryptocurrency?
Technically yes, since it's a token that can be exchanged for goods and services.

Do I need an nVidia for HUSH Coin mining?
Not necessarily. Anything with a high amount of RAM will help.

What's the best HUSH Coin mining pool?
It depends on what you're looking for.

Can I convert Bitcoin to HUSH Coin?Yes.

How does HUSH Coin compare vs Zcash?
If you'd like to know that, check out the section above where we compare the two currencies.

What is HUSH Coin?HUSH Coin is the currency of the Hush platform, a blockchain platform that allows private, secure transactions with all user data kept out of public view.

Is there a HUSH Coin Twitter?Yes.

Conclusion

The fundamental problem of transparent transaction histories and blockchains has been solved by different services, and Hush's approach is only one of them. However, since its privacy protocols are built into the very platform itself (instead of being just another option advanced users can take advantage of) it's possible that Hush will end up being one of the most secure blockchain platforms out there. If it's adopted by enough people, those who care deeply about anonymity and privacy, the price of its coin could go up, something that will spur even more interest in Hush and the HUSH coin.

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